New Prescription Abandonment Imagine going to the doctor’s office because you are having some pain in your wrist and knees. The doctor diagnoses you with rheumatoid arthritis and hands you a prescription for Humira to help subside the pain and prevent further damage to your joints. Everything seems fine and dandy until you reach the pharmacy to get your script filled. You have insurance but the copay comes out to be $120 for a one-month supply of the medication. You’re already on a tight budget and don’t think it’s worth it to pay since the pain isn’t unbearable. You tell the pharmacist you will come back and pick it up some other time. You never pick it up. Sadly, this is very common occurrence that is increasing throughout America. The rising out of pocket costs of purchasing medication are a major factor that contributes to increasing prescription abandonment. One study shows that about 85 percent of prescriptions are filled when the price at the register is around $30. Once the cost of a prescription surpasses $50, the rate starts to decline, dropping to 76 percent. When the cost of a prescription reaches $90 or more, the number of prescriptions filled drops even further, to 65 percent1. The high costs of prescription …show more content…
Patients often do not receive adequate education or instruction when they are prescribed a new medication3. This can lead to the patient being confused about the medication and being uncomfortable with taking it. One other issue regarding communication are the possibilities of alternatives. Alternatives could be a cheaper version of the drug or just a different dosage form. Patients should always be given an adequate opportunity to discuss alternatives and concerns about a new medication with their provider. If a patient is educated about the medication and offered alternatives, it will decrease the likelihood of